Moon Flower
by The Magnifique
Summary: Rydia sits contemplating recent events at Baron Castle the night of the wedding when she gets an unexpected gift. Slight KainxRydia. R&R and thanks.


Moon Flower

Disclaimer: No, I do not own final fantasy, just spend way too much time of my life in my room on my Nintendo and Gameboy/DS playing it.

-o0o-

A breeze shifted over the steps of Baron.

A single figure, illuminated by the full moon hanging in the sky, sat, catching the wind in her hair, lifting it to the side in a trademark fashion.

Her eyes shifted across the grounds, a shiver being sent through her body at the touch of a breeze, for she wanted to be alone, and the wind was deemed against her.

A sigh escaped the brilliantly clad woman, her eyes desperate, her face, tired. Her elegantly swept hair was blown away, and she clasped the large comb in it and pulled it free, and stood, facing the wind head on.

She spread her arms like an eagle would it's wings, closing her eyes, letting the winds lift her, wishing for them to take her away, away from this monstrosity, this desolate place.

Then it stopped.

'If he was here…he would have taken me to the sky,' she thought. 'He would have healed my wounds, my soul, my life…' she whispered, feeling it being carried away by the air in front of her, watching it glide only to her memories.

She missed him. He had made her life what it was…what she had now was because of him…Even though it may be less than desirable, less than what she dreamed of when she was a child, when her wildest dreams were floating in her mind, feeding off her youth…

It was because of him.

He was her life.

The minute he disappeared, the minute she realized he wasn't going to hear his best friend and his childhood sweetheart say "I do," her heart plunged into the depths of her chest, skipping beats until she realized she had missed their kiss and the couple were happily walking down the aisle.

And here she sat, after the festivities, all hope of him suddenly bursting through the door, his face alight with smile, happily clapping Cecil on the back and laughing as they had done before Golbez had come, before the world was thrown into unnecessary turmoil.

But was it really unnecessary?

What would her life have been like, had he not come into it?

He burned down her home. He killed her mother. He betrayed Cecil, not once, but twice.

But he had given Rydia adventure. He had shown Rydia what true people were capable of.

He watched after her, desperately trying to be trustworthy again, holding her up after they had beaten their first behemoth, embracing her warmly after acquiring the ragnarok, and smiling in a way she had never seen him smile before after they beat Zeromus.

In the heat of battle, the heart of fighting, the center of destruction, he had been there. He lifted her up, carried her to safety, though she would scream and kick the whole way. He had been gentle, not rough, not unfocused, like her admirer, the ninja prince, had been after he had abandoned them.

Edge had none of her heart. Kain, he captured it before the Prince knew she existed. He spoken with her their cottages, walked with her in towns, grown close to her, both emotionally and physically. He never left her side while on the moon. She didn't want him to leave.

She loved his aura, his personality, his rare smile, his way with words.

But now he was gone.

The silence erupted into a screeching, and her heart leapt as she turned around.

"Of course it isn't him," she whispered, turning from the white clad man and staring back at the blade of grass that had captivated her for the past lonely hours.

Cecil said nothing as he sat beside her. Rydia bit her lip.

He had a blushing bride to attend to. Why was he sitting out with her miserable self, wishing a man who had caused nothing but pain in her life to come back to cause more?

Cecil did nothing but put his arm around her. She needed comfort, not words, and though he wished he could say something to make her feel better, he had had enough experience to know that now was not the time.

There would be a time.

But she needed an arm to cry on, a star to wish upon, a day to look forward to.

And as a tear slipped down her cheek, he pulled her head onto his shoulder and whispered softly in her ear.

"Sh…" He reached into his cloak his free hand and plucked a brilliantly white Rose from his belt, and brought it into the light of the moon.

"I remember the exact day we picked this rose from its garden," Cecil whispered.

"It was a full moon, not unlike this night. Kain and I were young…no older than 14, and Rosa was with us in the gardens," his eyes sparkled as the memories came flooding back to him.

"I found a beautiful, deep red rose bud, barely opening in the dim light, and I plucked it and gave it to Rosa," he recalled, smiling as he twirled the rose in fingers.

"Then Kain, of course, not wanting to be outdone, found a brilliant, beautiful white rose. It seemed to give off its own light, and to shimmer before your eyes. He plucked the half opened bud and said 'I'll give this to my love when I find her, too,'" Cecil whispered, setting Rydia up straight and holding the still shining rose, though years old, in its same beauty it had the night it was plucked.

"I found a note in my chamber this morning. Kain asked me to take the rose from the chest in his room,"

"And he said, that when I could find you alone…to give it to you…to tell you the story of it, and to not forget about him. He said he'd be back. He'd be back to be with you again," Cecil delicately hand the rose to Rydia, who stared. He smiled warmly, and she wiped a tear and smiled as he turned to the castle to join the party again.

Rydia's fingers shook as she touched the still-soft petals of the rose, the green, waxy stem still as it had been years ago, when water flooded through it. He had kept this how long, a memory of his childhood, his carefree days, and then given it to her?

She felt warm, even though the wind was again moving through her hair, making it flow like in water.

And she knew that one day he'd come back, and he'd come back when he was ready. But until then, she'd be content with a rose.

A Flower, that grew, was harvested, and given, in the light of the moon.

Tucking it away, she crept into the castle to enjoy the remainder of the night.

-o0o-

The top of the East tower had a figure on it. A spear-carrying figure, who had watched the woman on the steps of the castle all night. His shadowy figure smiled, and under his breath he whispered

"Until I return, my love…"

He turned towards the Moon in the sky, bent his knees, and disappeared into the night.

-o0o-

Author's Notes: Ha, I got another one up! BOOYAH! I had to get out a little drama before I could start my next less serious fic, which I still haven't decided what game I'm gonna do it on, but I can feel it working in my head and I need to get it out. Gr. It's like an invisible plot bunny. That's going through file cabinets and stapling things together that don't belong together. Well, I've had enough drama for one night, so until I post again…

The Magnifique


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